CARPE DIEM: And You Thought Gas Prices Were High?

CARPE DIEM: And You Thought Gas Prices Were High?
"Report Card has found no direct correlation between conventional measures ofeducation inputs, such as expenditures per pupil and teacher salaries, and educational outputs, such as average scores on standardized tests. For instance, class sizes today are 15% smaller than they were 20 years ago, yet of the 10 states that experienced the greatest decreases, only one (Vermont) is found among the highest performing states in the rankings."

An oldie but goodie.
Read it!

Report Envisions Teacher Shortage Looming

Report Envisions Teacher Shortage Looming
“The traditional teaching career is collapsing at both ends,” the report says. “Beginners are being driven away” by low pay and frustrating working conditions, and “accomplished veterans who still have much to contribute are being separated from their schools by obsolete retirement systems” that encourage teachers to move from paycheck to pension when they are still in their mid-50s, the report says."

The NYT tortures the English language and insults our intelligence with this "accomplished veterans.... BEING SEPARATED FROM THEIR SCHOOLS" drivel.

They're leaving in their mid-50 because the corrupt, bankrupt pension system pays them more NOT to work than TO work!

And it's broke.... so we workers have to work longer to pay the teachers who don't work cuz they don't need to cuz we're payin' 'em not to work.....

Plan would boost income tax to pay Mich. tuition Michigan

Plan would boost income tax to pay Mich. tuition
"Two Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday proposed raising Michigan’s income tax rate to pay university tuition for students and fund preschool programs for 4-year-olds."

The plan would raise about $2 billion through a higher state income tax, with the rate increasing from the current 4.35 percent to 5.5 percent.

So they want to raise your income tax by 21%. Yes, that's right, A TWENTY-ONE PERCENT INCREASE IN YOUR INCOME TAXES!

State considers ban on big screen TVs

State considers ban on big screen TVs
"In their continuing quest to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, state regulators have uncovered a new villain in the war on global warming : your big screen TV"

This is simply a first step to control EVERY facet of our lives under the guise of "saving the earth".

Grants for 1,300 jobs coming

Grants for 1,300 jobs coming
"More than $47 million in job-creation grants are to be announced today by Lt. Gov. John Cherry.
Projects are expected to create more than 1,300 jobs, and they represent improvements to road, bridges and trail ways in 67 communities.
The funding comes from the state and the federal stimulus program.
Cherry is to travel to Flint, Detroit, Jackson and Grand Rapids today for announcements."

That's $36,153/job.

Does that mean that 1 year from now we will have 1300 newly unemployed workers collecting unemployment?

Or will Jenny simply "blow them away"?

Raise Michigan's beer tax to fight child abuse

Task force: Raise Michigan's beer tax to fight child abuse
"Michigan should increase its beer tax by a nickel a bottle to combat child abuse and neglect and decrease the number of children who end up in foster care, the co-chair of a state-appointed task force said this week.
'It's worth the investment,' said C. Patrick Babcock, whose 85-member Child Welfare Insurance Task Force will present its findings next week."

So now I'm drinking beer "for the children"?

Muslim Girl Gets $400G From Nevada School District in Head Scarf Bully Case

Muslim Girl Gets $400G From Nevada School District in Head Scarf Bully Case
"the teen was unable to give any description of her tormenter — including his or her gender, size and tone of voice."

What a great legal team!

Understanding The Financial Crisis

Understanding The Financial Crisis

Tea Party role reversal: how to deal with potential agents provocateurs from the left

Tea Party role reversal: how to deal with potential agents provocateurs from the left: "According to Newsbusters derived from the Cavuto Show and other sources, in a startling role reversal, ACORN and the Huffington Post are planning to infiltrate the Tea Parties.
On Fox News Channel’s April 7 “Your World,” host Neil Cavuto reported that the Tax Day tea party protests on April 15 will be “infiltrated” by their political opponents and led by left-wing activist organizations. He specifically named Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).
“Only eight days before a nationwide tea party, some over-caffeinated crashers aiming to lay waste to it,” Cavuto said. “Reports of very well-organized infiltrators trying to mix in and rain on this parade. Talk about taxing.”
Of course, in the parlance of a more centrist liberal, this all depends on what your definition of infiltrate is. The HuffPo is planning, like PJTV and Pajamas Media, to send citizen reporters. If that’s true, more power to them. Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom, I always say. But if they intend to participate and shape events while hiding their identities, well, that’s another matter. The same is true of ACORN. I would say to them welcome. Demonstrate, counter demonstrate, do your thing. This is America. But if someone’s out to play the agents provocateurs game, trying to make the Tea Party movement seem to be what it’s not, painting libertarians as racists or similar nonsense, well, that deserves to be exposed and countered vigorously.
So my recommendation to Tea Party demonstrators as a former leftie is to tear a leaf from my old book. Keep your eye out"

Nonprofits feeling effects of today's weak economy

Nonprofits feeling effects of today's weak economy
"It's a routine Arvia has gotten to know well in her 21 years at the YMCA. And unfortunately, with the economy in the tank, Thursday's session was one of her last.
Arvia, along with two other YMCA employees, is out of a job this week. The YMCA, like many West Michigan nonprofits, is suffering from a lack of financing and can no longer afford her.......
As Michigan's economy continues to suffer, many nonprofits are struggling. From cutting staff to scaling back services, area nonprofits are working hard to weather the economic storm.
For nonprofits, the changes can be difficult."

How can this happen when President Barack Hussein Obama is promising $$trillions to his friends?

Meebeee the non-profs might reconsider their anti-company jihad?

yeah right......

State pumps millions into tourism promotion

State pumps millions into tourism promotion

Let's see... the formula is:
1. Raise taxes
2. High taxes send businesses and citizens out of our state
3. Raise taxes even more for new TV ads to attract those who left us to return for vacations.
4. Admit that we need more TV commercials but don't have enough money so we will re gravel all our roads to save money for more commercials......

YOUR NEXT CAR

YOUR NEXT CAR
"The utlimate Greenmobile, the perfect car for the Age of Obama."

GM, Segway to Make Vehicle

GM, Segway to Make Vehicle
"General Motors Corp. is teaming with Segway Inc., maker of the upright, self-balancing scooters, to build a new type of two-wheeled vehicle designed to move easily through congested urban streets.
The machine, which GM says it aims to develop by 2012, would run on batteries and use wireless technology to avoid traffic backups and navigate cities"

Chairman B Hussein has gotta love this!

Rural Casnovia Township to get traffic circle

Rural Casnovia Township to get traffic circle
"Federal stimulus money has fast-tracked a project to construct a roundabout at the rural intersection of M-37 and M-46, which now will be completed this year.
The $4 million project had been on the Michigan Department of Transportation's list for next year, but the federal money has allowed the work to begin in July"

Wow!

The township, county, state and national governments are bankrupt but there is still enough for a "roundabout"!

Those liberal, roundabout lovers must be SO proud!

What a country!

Almost half of French approve of locking up bosses

Almost half of French approve of locking up bosses
"Almost half of French people believe it is acceptable for workers facing layoffs to lock up their bosses, according to an opinion poll published on Tuesday."

And the "opinion poll" asking if government bosses ought to be tarred and feathered........?

Public-employee pension are unsustainable

Public-employee pension are unsustainable
"IF YOU WANT an example of public employee pensions mushrooming out of control, consider the case of Berkeley City Manager Phil Kamlarz.
His story shows how a state plan a decade ago to boost retirement packages for firefighters and police officers actually affected most government jobs across California, not just public safety workers. In Kamlarz' case, he is now set up to earn more each year in retirement than the governor of California is entitled to annually while on the job."

US official says wind could replace coal for power

US official says wind could replace coal for power
"Jason Hayes, a spokesman for the American Coal Council, said he was puzzled by Salazar's projections. He said wind power plants face roadblocks including local opposition, concerns about their impact on wildlife, and problems in efficiently transmitting power from far offshore.
'It really is a stretch,' he said of Salazar's estimate. 'How you put that many new (wind) plants up, especially in deep water, is confusing. Even if you could do what he said, you still need to deal with the fact that the best wind plants generate power about 30 percent of the time. There's got to be something to back that up.'"

These "wind-is-the-answer" people are delusional!

And imagine how our enemies would love to have all of our power generation sitting just off shore....... yes, they can.

Scary.

Program helps kids find their carbon impact

Program helps kids find their carbon impact
"But a new pilot project in San Francisco is incorporating GPS-equipped cell phones and Facebook to help students learn about their impact on the environment.
The Go Green Foundation of San Francisco, with support from Nokia, UCLA and AT&T,"

The new color of "brown shirts" is green.

Arctic sea ice thinnest ever going into spring

Arctic sea ice thinnest ever going into spring
"'more than 90 percent of the sea ice in the Arctic is only one or two years old.'
That means that ice coverage has improved the last 2 years. This means 2 years ago there was 90% less ice, so this means things are improving.
Some nice backwards thinking here."

Exactly!
The last two years has shown an enormous increase in Arctic ice.

No mention of that inconvenient fact.

The "global warming" fraud depends on a compliant media to spread lies, hide the truth.

Disgusting!

Government May Stop Cost Of Living Adjustments For Social Security For Three Years

Government May Stop Cost Of Living Adjustments For Social Security For Three Years
"This is all very preliminary -- and nothing is final until next October -- but a report just out from the Congressional Budget Office is predicting that the annual cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security checks may disappear next year"

Government fixes leave us broke

Government fixes leave us broke
"The Congressional Budget Office, the economic forecasting arm of the Congress, now reports that the Social Security trust fund is almost in the red. They project that the fund's surplus next year will be a scant $3 billion.
For perspective, CBO just 12 months ago projected that this same surplus would be $86 billion – almost 30 times larger. Plus, the CBO estimated then that the fund would not be in the red for another 10 years. Now it looks like it may be next year."

Michelle Malkin » To GIVE and to SERVE: the $6 billion National Service boondoggle

Michelle Malkin » To GIVE and to SERVE: the $6 billion National Service boondoggle

A corrupt Washington is paying us hush money

A corrupt Washington is paying us hush money
Meanwhile, with the power to give out our money as they wish, congressmen take campaign money from lobbyists and industries they regulate.

Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., is only the latest poster boy for that, but boy is he a good one.

There may be no one who better represents all that is wrong with Washington.

The powerful Senate Banking Committee chairman got a sweetheart mortgage from Countrywide; he has received $280,000 in campaign contributions from troubled insurer AIG; and he made sure that AIG executive bonuses were untouched by Congress -- then claimed for 24 hours that he knew nothing about it, before reporters forced him to admit the truth.

Polls show Dodd is in re-election trouble. But don't hold your breath: Despite record-low approval ratings for Congress last year, we continued sending our congressmen back at about a 90 percent retention rate

R&B singers thrive even without mainstream media support

R&B singers thrive even without mainstream media support
"Despite their enormous influence on most 'American' music genres, African American performers continue to be largely ignored by mainstream media."

huh?

The Five Dumbest Tariffs: As the global recession deepens, countries go to extreme lengths to prop up their ailing industries.

The Five Dumbest Tariffs: As the global recession deepens, countries go to extreme lengths to prop up their ailing industries.
"Mexico: The Sunflower Seeds Must Pay
On March 11, when Obama signed the 2009 appropriations bill, he also ended a pilot program that had let a number of Mexican trucking companies carry their cargo into the United States. One week later, Mexico retaliated, leveling tariffs on 89 different American imports, including a tariff on Christmas trees (20 percent), dog food (10 percent), dental floss (15 percent), deodorant (15 percent), and toilet paper (10 percent).
"Mexico: The Sunflower Seeds Must Pay
(The blog Mexico Trucker Online posted this translated list of the Mexican tariffs.)
The Wall Street Journal reported that Mexican officials chose the specific tariffs by targeting businesses in the districts of influential U.S. legislators. For example, one of the items targeted is sunflower seeds-which grow in North Dakota. North Dakota happens to be the home state of Byron Dorgan, the Democratic senator who spearheaded the move to exclude Mexican truckers.
The Journal reported that Sen. Dorgan was "outraged" at the move. His office did not return a call from The Big Money.

On the edge of the pension pit

On the edge of the pension pit
"Years of putting off budgetary responsibilities have left state and local governments staring into an abyss of pension liabilities. The facts reported in Barry Horstman's story, 'Generous pensions in deep hole,' make it clear the system is no longer sustainable. To continue funding these current plans at their current levels, taxpayers would have to give up many of the public services the public workers were hired to provide."

Cuba boosts retirement age as many go gray

Cuba boosts retirement age as many go gray
"HAVANA - Like much of Cuba's work force, Alfredo Congas is going gray. The chain-smoking 61-year-old retired last March after 42 years as a hotel doorman and rum company driver. Now he's working 12-hour shifts as a security guard to supplement his pension.

Congas' new job brings his total income - pension plus paycheck - to the equivalent of $23.45 a month, about $4 more than the average state wage.

Poverty forces most of Cuba's 2.2 million retirees to get jobs to supplement their pensions. Many scrape by, selling peanuts and newspapers or guarding cars for tourist change.

Now, even that is harder to do. Faced with an aging population and a life expectancy of 77.3 years, nearly the same as in the United States, Cuba has raised the retirement threshold by five years, to 60 for women and 65 for men, delaying the second jobs many have counted on to make ends meet.


About 90 percent of Cubans have government jobs, and both sexes must now work at least 30 years, not 25, to get a full pension."

Which party will attract the Busted Boomers?

Which party will attract the Busted Boomers?: "Whichever political party can develop a message to address the anxieties of the Busted Boomers will have a distinct advantage in next year's midterm congressional contests and the 2012 presidential race."

video, izzo, final four, uconn search results / Spartan Sports Page

video, izzo, final four, uconn search results / Spartan Sports Page

Michigan State University "White Out"?

Michigan State University Official Athletic Site
This is weird.
MSU is GREEN and the MSU administration wants us to wear white?